Butternut Squash Soup with a Kick

I never used to be a soup aficionado.  But, I've discovered soup is probably one of the easiest meals to prepare.  If you can throw things in a pot, you can make a delicious soup.  

This soup can be prepared by roasting the squash first or not.  In this recipe I didn't, but opted to flavor it with a bit of chipotle, herb de Provence and nutmeg.  Those ingredients don't seem to mesh, however, it turned out great!  Smokey and spicy at the same time and perfect for that snowy weather evening.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp oil

1 cup yellow onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

5 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed

1 tsp herb de Provence

4 cups chicken broth

1 cup water

1 tsp chipotle sauce ( buy in a small can and freeze, chipping off what you need to use)

1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

In a 5-6 qt soup pot add the oil and onions.  Cook on medium heat until softened.  Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.  Cook for approximately 30-35 minutes.  Puree in batches in a blender and return to the pan.  Salt and pepper, if needed and reheat to a serving temperature.  Yummy!  And wasn't that easy?